Trunk crate



Dec. 11,1923. 1,477,008

I. J. SAWYER TRUNK CRATE Filed July 11. 1922 Xvaei JJaa yer Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

ISRAEL 5'. SA'WYER, OF HASKELL, OKLAHOMA,

TRUNK CRATE.

Application filed July 11, 1922. Serial No. 574,201.

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, lsnnnn J. SAwYnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haskell, in the county of Muskogee, State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk Crates; and I do hereby declare the following .to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. p

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient construction of a trunk reenforcing frame, harness or crate as a means for strengthening the same against distortion under the strains applied thereto in transportation and when subjected to the rough handling which is incident in transferring trunks and the like from eX- press cars, drays, et cetera, and in that connectionto provide a crating means which will not detract from the utility and efiiciency of the end handles or grips with which conventional trunks are ordinarily provided,oand hence without adding to the ditliculty in carrying a trunk equipped with the reen forcingapparatus; and with these objects in. view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts of which a preferredembodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a crate embodying the invention applied in the operative position to a trunk, an outline of the latter being indicated in dotted lines. I Figure 2 is a view of the lower member of the crate showing the parts in the position they assume when, the upper member having been disengaged therefrom, the weight of the trunk has been removed from the lower member, or the lower member has been arranged on the floor to receive the trunk to which the device is to be applied.

The bottom member of the crate consists essentially OftliQ side rocker elements 10,

' transversely connected by tie-rods 11 pro vided with terminal eyes 11 for engaging the rocker elements and carrying end stay elements 12 which have a sliding engage ment by means of eyes 12 with the tie-rods and are of angular form as indicated to ex tend under the bottom of the trunk, which 7 is indicated at 13. The rocker elements are are extended to form side arms 15 to extend upwardly at the sides of the trunk with terminal eyes 14? forming means for engagement by hooks 15 or equivalent fastening elements carried by the top member of the crate.

Said top member consists essentially of the transverse end elements 16 connected at points between their extremities by a longitudinal tie-rod 17 having eyes 17 for engagement therewith, and the extremities of said transverse end elements 16, which preferably are provided with terminal pendant arms, as shown carry links 18 provided with terminal. hooks or latches 19, for engagement with eyes at the extremities of the arms of the bottom rocker members; Similar links 20 depending from eyes 21 at the centers of the transverse top elements carry the hooks or latches 15 for engagement with the eyes at the upperextr'emitiesof the stay elements 12. Said latch carrying links at the ends of the structure are designed as indicated to extend through the handles 22 usually found on the end walls of trunks of the conventional types, without obstructing 'or interfering with the use of said handles. The fastening means by which said links are connected with the stay elements of the bottom member of the crate being located sufliciently below the plane of said trunk handles to avoid interference, while the extension of said links through the handles serves as a means of maintaining a proper position of the end connected between the upper and lower members of the crate with relation to the other features thereof.

Connecting the side latch carrying links and the terminal arms of the bottom rockers are transverse tie-wires 23 and 24, as a further means of insuring a proper relative position of the elements.

It will thus be seen that the crate consists essentially of detachable top and bottom members and embodies in the former a plurality of transverse trunk spanning ele ments connected and held in their proper relative positions by a longitudinal tie-rod, the construction illustrated in the drawing embodying two of these transverse spanning elements, and embodies in the construction of its bottom member the side rocker elements connected by transverse tie-rods, in the terminal eyes of which said rocker elements are adapted to pivot, so that when the upper member of the structure is disconnected from the lower member and the weight of the trunk has been removed from the latter, or when the lower member has been positioned on the floor or other supporting surface preparatory to placing the trunk therein the rocker elements of the bottom member fold or swing outwardly as shown in Figure 2, and correspondingly the end tie elements fold or spread outwardly so as to members in protective relation with the trunk. Incidentally it should be noted that the latch members are of such a construction as to cause a tensioning of the end and side stay elements including the swinging links which depend from the top member, to effect a clamping action upon the trunk between the top and bottom members, and thus reenforce the latter against distortion by strains incident to the throwing of the trunk from a car to truck or to the platform, as in the ordinary handling of baggage by express and railway companies.

The end and side stay elements by which the top and bottom members of the crate are connected preferably include, as shown, the links pivotally or loosely carried by the top member so they are free to swing in the engagement of the latch elements carried thereby with the eyes or complemental locking means with which the upwardly extend ing elements of the bottom member are provided. It should also be noted that the latch hooks which are herein shown are disposed so that the free ends thereof are di 'rected inwardly to avoid contacting with adjacent objects in the handling of the crated trunk. r

Moreover, in order to facilitate folding into compact form the crate when not in .use, it will be observed that the longitudinal tie element of the top member is provided with eyes which slidingly engage the transverse spanning elements, that thc tie-rods of the bottom are similarly engaged for relative sliding movement with the rocker elements and that the end stay elements which are carried by the bottom tie-rods are adapted for sliding movement with relation thereto, in addition to the fact that the links which carry the latch elements are foldably connected with the elements of the top member by means of interlocking eyes or'the equivalent thereof.

As a means of protecting the surface of the trunk from scratches or abrasions by the metallic elements of the crate, suitable cushions or knobs 25 of rubber or like material may be arranged thereon where deemed necessary, and the coils forming the feet 14 may also be equipped with shoes 26 of sheet metal or its equivalent crimped thereon and frictionally held in place, said shoes constituting relatively smooth bearings for the crate upon the floor or other supporting surface.

Also to prevent displacement of the tierods 11 in relation to the elements of the rockers 10 with which the extremities of said tie-rods engage, collars 27 may be employed, or as indicated particularly in Fig ure 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A trunk crate having separable top and bottom members for respective engagement with the upper and lower sides of a trunk, and end and side stay elements for connect ing said members and having latch elements for securing the same in their operative posi tions, the bottom member having parallel rocker elements connected by transverse tierods.

2. A. trunk crate having separable top and bottom members for respective engagement with the upper and lower sides of a trunk, and end and side stay elements for connecting said members having latch elements for securing the same in their operative positions, the bottom member having parallel rocker elements connected by transverse tierods provided with terminal eyes in which the rocker elements are mounted for swinging movement.

3. A trunk crate having separable top and bottom members for respective engagement with the upper and lower sides of a trunk, and end and side stay elements for connecting said members and having latch elements for securing the same in their operative positions, the bottom member having parallel rocker elements connected by transverse tierods, the rocker elements having terminal upstanding arms.

4. A trunk crate having separable top and bottom members for respective engagement with the upper and lower sides of a trunk, and end and side stay elements for connect ing said members and having latch elements for securing the same in their operative positions, the bottom member having parallel rocker elements connected by transverse tierods, and provided with upstanding arms and the top member having swin ing links carrying latches for engagement with the extremities of said arms.

5. A trunk crate having separable top and bottom members for respective engagement with the upper and lower sides of a trunk, and end and side stay elements for connect- III ing said members and having latch elements for securing the same in their operative positions, the bottom member having paral- In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

lel rocker elements connected by transverse ISRAEL SAWYER' 5 tie-rods, and the stay elements including Witnesses:

members slidingly mounted upon said tie- EDWARD E. BROWN,

rods.

JIM FOSTER. 

